Is it possible to be stylish while remaining environmentally responsible? This is one of the key questions that online luxury retailer ETHICA set out to address, and they’ve incorporated many components into their sustainability initiatives in order to achieve it.

Becoming CarbonFree® was an early step along the sustainability path for ETHICA. Through the CarbonFree® Business Partnership program, ETHICA’s donations neutralize their annual operational emissions while supporting carbon emissions reduction projects around the world. ETHICA also offers eco-friendly packaging and carbon-neutral shipping with every order.

"As a retailer devoted to promoting ethical and sustainable fashion, we are naturally committed to minimizing our environmental impact and remaining a carbon-neutral business,” explains Carolina Cantor, Co-Founder of ETHICA. “SHOPETHICA.COM's corporate values align with Carbonfund.org’s mission and its efforts in the fight against climate change."

The company is based in a LEED-certified green building in New York City and carefully selects the designers it promotes to ensure that they are adhering to ethical and environmentally sustainable practices.

ETHICA’s featured designers focus on manufacturing locally to reduce the environmental impact of transporting materials. Most items are made by hand or in small batches in an effort to decelerate the “fast fashion” cycle, as well as to avoid the environmental impact of machine-driven assembly lines. They select quality materials and pay their producers fairly, which in turn contributes to more realistic prices that challenge the idea that fashion is disposable. Many of the fashion items found on SHOPETHICA.com are made using salvaged, reclaimed, recycled or upcycled materials, as well as natural and organic fibers that can be more easily recycled or that will decompose or biodegrade more quickly than synthetics. ETHICA seeks out designs that are timeless, quality products designed to have long life-cycles, rather than throwaway pieces to be discarded as part of a relentless trend cycle.

ETHICA is helping to drive the trend away from throwaway fashions towards designs with longevity and durability in mind, enabling those who own their products to consume less. Their leadership in sustainable business practices positions ETHICA in the front of fashion-forward and environmentally responsible luxury e-retailing.